Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Dad spent too much time on the computer over the weekend. He was writing some sort of comments about his student advisees at school. This is what we think he would write if he had to submit a comment on each of us....

Maren Elizabeth SmithIt is a pleasure to have Maren as one of my children. She plays an important role in the family as a big sister by helping to clean the house, cook meals, and discipline her younger siblings. She is one of the few people in her household without a fear of the vacuum. I would encourage her to continue developing these skills and trying new activities such as changing diapers and cleaning toilets. Maren is an outstanding reader and writer. She is very creative in her story telling however she could be a little more patient when she gets frustrated with her homework. She should remember that her parents are much more interested in the value of her efforts than the outcome of her work. She is creative in her play but could be more thorough cleaning up her messes, particularly around the baseboards and other edges where bits of crafts pieces, small legos, and scraps of paper tend to gather. Maren has beautiful long hair but should brush it more often so that her mother will stop threatening to cut it short again. It has been amazing to watch Maren's amazing growth this year and I look forward to seeing many great things from her in the future.

Harrison Andrew SmithHarrison is a happy boy. While his attitude can quickly turn toward whining and complaining about the injustice of stolen toys, bed time, or careless bumps from his siblings, Harry is getting better at using his words to describe his concerns. He has made great strides in recent weeks with the pronunciation of the second consonant in consonant clusters such as "spy" or "sport." Spider Man is much cooler than Cider Man. He has also increased his vocabulary with words such as "accurate" and "apologize." Harry has gone for a long stretch without an "accident" but needs to work on not using his pull-up at night and wiping himself more confidently and thoroughly. Like his older sister, Harry is very imaginative in play and particularly enjoys games involving knights or Star Wars (previously Sar Wars). His energetic play is exhibited best by his many bruises and the holes in the knees of his jeans. Unlike his sister, his hair does not suffer from tangles but it could desperately use the the skills of a fine barber. I encourage Harry to broaden his interests in food or at least try the broccoli cheese soup before asking for a peanut butter sandwich. Harry is quite a dancer and has developed a particularly fine booty shake. It is an absolute delight to have Harry as a part of our family and watch him learn, explore, and enjoy the world around him.

Norah Anne SmithNorah has clearly breached the wall of babyhood, zoomed through toddlerdom, and is banging down the doors to gain full rights of being a kid like her two older siblings. While still overcoming an irrational fear of the rabbit puppet, Norah generally explores the world bravely and courageously. I appreciate her growing awareness of the body and its functions but encourage her to not take off her diaper in the middle of the night, especially when it's stinky. Norah has a sense of fashion uncharacteristic of her siblings and has mastered the "coat flip" perfectly, allowing her to prepare for cold weather quickly and independently. Norah is particularly interested in food and has found many new opportunities to test her palette since learning how to open the refrigerator on her own; she should now learn to close the refrigerator. Norah is an excellent sleeper and generally goes to bed with very little fuss. She is also expanding her musical talents with repeated performances of classics such as the "ABC's" and "la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la." Her speech is developing at a stunning speed and she is using her new words well to communicate her needs. Improved communication skills have also allowed Norah to begin her own attempts at being intentionally funny through gestures, actions, and now even words. Although it is a little sad to not have "baby Norah" anymore, it is very fulfilling to have such a wonderful, silly, and happy little girl in our home.